Readers of LA Culture Index know that I don’t see a lot of improv. I’m highly selective of what I do see–and usually that just means Improv Shakespeare. But I wanted to branch out, and when an Instagram advertisement for an improv company called “Dead And…” came across my feed, I knew I’d have to see it.
You see, I’m a big fan of murder mysteries. I grew up on a steady televised diet of Matlock and Columbo, and the only TV I watch these days is the likes of Midsomer Murders, Murdoch Mysteries, Only Murders in the Building, Castle… you get the idea. Far beyond that, though, is my collection of antique mystery novels, preferably from the Golden Age of Detective Fiction, roughly the 1920s-1940s. I’ve had to buy whole additional bookshelves and start stacking the books vertically just to get them all to fit.
So an improv performance where “even the performers don’t know whodunit” was irresistible to me. I was the exact target market for that ad.
The event was up at a venue called the Nitecap, which I had never been to before. Up in Burbank and just a couple blocks from Broken Compass Tiki (which I stopped at first), the Nitecap is a tiny, tiny little spot, probably the smallest venue I’ve ever gone to. Which is not at all a bad thing–it’s intimate, easily packed, and there’s not a bad seat in the house–there can’t be! If you can’t see the performers across the little basement-like room, you’ve got a vision problem.
The Nitecap didn’t feel “cheap,” though. It was a smooth and professional operation and had a charming courtyard (larger than the performance space) with a solid bar.
Homey and charming.
The courtyard was a great space to chat, and I got to meet some others who had also stopped at Broken Compass Tiki first (recognized them from the bar) and a couple other people who had been fans of Dead And… or specific cast members for longer. It was an easy, casual social space.
Doors opened promptly and we were led in, and I was seated in the second row (out of three).
Pre-Show Entertainment
Before the main act began, we were treated to three stand-up improv comedians.
The first stand-up comedian, whose name I now forget. Please let me know if you know who this is.
Jess Alaniz, the second comedian.
Pat Quinn, the third comedian.
Live stand-up comedy is not my usual lane, but I can definitely say I laughed at all three of them.
Next, since this was the Halloween show, and the night of fright was only a couple days away, there was an audience costume contest. The prize was this adorable embroidered “You Are Bootiful” ghost decoration, made by hand by one of the performers, Dione Kuraoka.
A delightful little cross-stitch.
I don’t win much in life, but I did win this costume contest. I was dressed up as a packet of silica gel–you know, a Halloween classic. I was thrilled to accept the handcrafted award; as of this writing, it sits proudly on my record player.
The Murder Mystery
Finally, it was time for the main event. The producer/director of the company, Andy Hendren, also served as the audience-facing “host” of the performance, explaining the rules and giving contextual narration to the breaks.
Providing the context.
There were six performers, each dressed up in various Halloween costumes (including three Spider-Mans). As the show started, Hendren had each performer draw a random card, which only that performer saw. Four of the cards were blank. One of the cards assigned that actor to be the murderer. And one of the cards assigned that actor to be the victim.
The cards were put back, with each performer only knowing their own role, and the drama began.
The drama.
The setting was a Halloween party in New York City. Hosted by two actors as a couple, comedy and tension began as the other characters came over, establishing their roles on the fly.
It seemed that this pleasant-on-the-surface party was about to boil over. And then, the lights went out. In the whole room, for all of us–pitch black.
When the lights turned on again after a moment, performer Brock St. Clair was laying on the ground. His character had been murdered.
Not what you want to happen at most parties.
I was wondering at this point how they would continue the story. Would Hendren come in as a police officer, or would one of the characters be molded into an amateur sleuth of some sort? How does one improvise a murder mystery story, anyway? Was St. Clair no longer going to act the rest of the night?
Other than acting dead, that is.
It turns out the troupe has crafted a winning formula: flashbacks.
Over the next few scenes, the audience was given past interactions between St. Clair’s character and the other characters from the Halloween party, using context established at that present-time party as well as adding in new developments as they went on. Other characters had their own side interactions in the past as well. Despite being made up on the spot, we learned more and more about the motives that each character had harbored to end St. Clair’s character’s life. Importantly, this also kept St. Clair acting, not banished to the sidelines after the murder.
The sidelines: offstage to the left.
Offstage to the right.
Hendren stepped in to provide more framing narration, bringing us back to the present.
Finally, in a dramatic scene that nobody saw coming–because nobody except for this one single performer knew!–the murderer was revealed to be the character played by Amanda Barlow.
Murderer Amanda Barlow, right.
This formula worked surprisingly well for the level of internal consistency that any at-least-mostly functional mystery must have to succeed. Of course, it was a little loose around the edges, but that’s part of the charm of the improv, and often led to some of the funniest moments and best running jokes.
After the show, we exited to the courtyard for another round of drinks, and most of the performers came out and drank with the audience. I love it when this happens, and it can be harder to find places like this in Los Angeles than a lot of other cities. Getting to meet and discuss the show and the company and the history and gossip with the actors was such a highlight of the night.
Naturally they took advantage of three Spider-Men to recreate the meme pose:
A classic.
I suggested a slight update to the meme pose, which I think worked very well too:
An updated classic.
I admittedly don’t have a lot to compare Dead And… to. Judging them against a troupe like Improv Shakespeare, which is over twenty years old and has toured worldwide, is not a fair fight; Dead And… is still new, fresh, and unpolished.
But I CAN say, without a doubt, Dead And… was an excellent, hilarious, and well-crafted show, fit for a much larger stage (no shade to the Nitecap intended), and I will eagerly await the next improvised murder mystery that they perform.
Even if I don’t win an embroidery every time.
Full Cast & Context
Dead And… Improv is run by Andy Hendren. The website lists a larger pool (currently 15) of potential actors that may appear as one of the six for any given performance, but the cast that I saw on 10/29/2025 was:
- Amanda Barlow
- Dione Kuraoka
- Philip Rodriguez
- Luke Lutz
- Brock St. Clair
- Noah Ramirez
- and hosted by Andy Hendren
Hendren did a good job framing the experience.
Dead And… appears to have been started around April 2024 and, if my counting is correct, this was their 11th production. For months that they perform, they seem to stick to the last Wednesday of the month.
The Nitecap is a comedy club and event venue with daily open mics, and has also featured comedians from HBO, Netflix, and Showtime. No other venue gives you quite the opportunity to be so up-close-and-personal with the performers.
As far as I’m concerned, Dead And… is a perfect example of why LA’s smaller-scene improv is worth your attention.
